Food: Our greatest struggle is very basic: We just want to feed the children every day Additional land would be of great help because we could grow crops and feed the children from the harvest seasonally. Best case scenario: I would feed them a second meal of the day, because often what I feed them for lunch is all they eat for the whole 24-hour day.
Teacher and staff pay: Often our seven teachers work without pay. You can change that. What dedicated teachers we have! They are surely worthy of compensation for their efforts. A monthly donation would provide financial security for our teachers and staff. I would love to add one or two more teachers as well. We have three cooks, one afterschool leader, one pedagogical director, one secretary, and one cleaning lady.
Educational supplies: We are in need of books, school supplies, tools, and musical instruments. We hope to get local donations, but monetary donations are also a great gift, allowing us to shop for needed items. It has been shown in America, by certain studies, that having books around children is the #1 most influential factor in them learning to read. Books create a desire to read. Please keep in mind that parents cannot feed their children, let alone provide pencils and notebooks for them, so any school supplies are so very welcome.
We do teach computer with one laptop, but it is difficult to teach one by one like that. Teachers would love to have two more. They also need more chalk and paper to be able to teach well. We would love art supplies like scissors, tape, crayons, rulers, and glue.
Furniture needs: We hope to get four dozen more benches and 50 chairs with tables. If we can get even a few more, the Bible club will not be limited in attendance by the number of seats available. A new blackboard would be wonderful, if possible.
Building projects: We need to replace certain metal sheets on the roof which have been leaking. We also need a lock for inside the school door for security purposes. We currently can only lock it from outside.
Kitchen building project: A small kitchen would be such a gift to us! We hope to have a large propane-powered grill. Our current propane-powered 3-burner stove seems to be clogged or broken. Currently there is no working refrigerator. Porridge and other foods are prepared in a large pot standing on a grate over an open fire. The fire is made from wood or charcoal. An aluminum reflector to box in the fire on three sides would keep heat concentrated to the pot, and it also would be better for fire safety. We are in need of table and/or counters to prepare food on. This is for cleanliness and convenience. There would be less bending for the staff cooking the food. a sealed storage bin would protect our food supply from pests and keep it clean. Our vision is to someday provide both lunch and an additional meal.
Electricity: We are currently without this luxury. We pray for a generous heart to provide solar panels for lighting our school. Solar panels also need batteries, inverter, regulator, cables and light fixtures. We have six rooms needing light. Children can just barely read and write with the light that shines through the high windows. On cloudy days, the children must go outside to be able to read and write. We have no candles, flashlights, or lanterns.
Water project ideas: It would be great to dig a well near the school. Currently, water transport takes much time and energy. Cooks cary water on their heads for a thirty minute journey, but sometimes cannot find water at all. On those occasions, they cannot cook. then they prepare dry foods like bread and peanuts for the children. Another idea is to have a rainwater collection system from off the roof of the school, once we get the roof replaced.
First aid kit: We have no supplies for if a child feels ill or gets hurt. We would gladly accept donations of band aids, thermometer, thermometer covers, disposable ice packs, gauze, tissues, ointment, saline wash, and a container to keep these supplies clean.
HOW TO DONATE:
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